After a brief lull, Enforcement Directorate Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO) once again swung into action, as the federal agency sleuths mounted concurrent search and seizure operation at five different locations in Kharora, Raipur and Durg on early Thursday morning, in connection with their probe into Custom Rice Milling special incentive scam. The swoop mounted under Section 17 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, enveloped two premises each in Durg and Kharora respectively, whereas another one in Raipur. The concurrent search-ops commenced at around 6 am on Thursday morning. “Three out of five premises brought under the ambit of the searches alone belonged to Pramod Agrawal, former General Secretary of Chhattisgarh State Rice Millers Association (CSRMS), wherein two are situated in Kharora and one in Raipur. Apropos, two premises of a Durg district-based businessman were also being searched owing to his links with former Managing Director, Chhattisgarh State Marketing Federation Limited (MARKFED). Soni was earlier arrested by ED on April 30th in connection with his involvement in the scam,” knowledgeable sources privy to the ongoing investigation told ‘The Hitavada.’

 

Sources, however, affirmed that the search teams though didn’t find any cash at any of the premises, it indeed succeeding in recovering and seizing various incriminating proofs, documents, mobile phones, laptop and other digital evidence, that connects them with the scam. Sources further revealed that the fresh searches were necessitated following the recent arrest of CSRMA Treasurer Roshan Chandrakar, another key accused in the scam, whose interrogation prompted the investigators from ED – country’s top financial crimes agency – to develop key leads into their ongoing probe. Sources, however, refused to share the details of these leads citing the sensitivity of the investigation into the scam. According to the sources, the CSRMA office-bearers under the leadership of their Treasurer Roshan Chandrakar and in collusion with Manoj Soni, MD MARKFEd, collected kickbacks amount of Rs 20 per instalment for each quintal of paddy milled from the rice millers.

 

“The details of rice millers, who have paid the cash amounts, were sent by the district rice millers association to the concerned District Marketing Officer (DMO). The DMOs, upon receiving the bills of rice millers, cross checked them with the details received from the concerned district rice millers association; this information was then passed on to the head office of MARKFED. The bills of only those rice millers who have paid cash amount to the association were cleared by MD, MARKFED for payment,” the sources elucidated on the modus-operandi of the scam. Sources further recalled that the ED-RPZO initiated investigation on the basis of disclosure of Prosecution Complaint filed by IT Investigation Wing, Raipur wherein it was alleged that the CSRMA office bearers colluded with MARKFED and hatched a conspiracy to misuse the special incentive and earn kickback as in crore of rupees.

 

Till Kharif year 2021-22, a special incentive of Rs 40 per quintal of paddy was paid by the Govt. of Chhattisgarh to the rice millers for custom milling of paddy and subsequently, it was exorbitantly increased to Rs 120 per quintal of paddy later which was paid in two instalments of Rs 60 each. “Our investigation revealed that after the hike in the special allowance from Rs 40 to Rs 120 quintal, payments were released worth Rs 500 crore, generating kickbacks of Rs 175 crore which were collected by Roshan Chandrakar with active assistance of MD MARKFED, for the benefit of ‘higher powers’. During the twoday long search operations on multiple premises of ex-MD of MARKFED, CSRMA Treasurer and Office bearers, DMOs and few Rice Millers on November 20 and 21, incriminating documents, digital devices and unaccounted cash of Rs. 1.06 Crore were found and seized,” investigators recollected their line of investigation.